Online "Vicarious Pleasure" Not What YOU'RE Thinking ... Perv

2 years ago

South Korea's newest fad is "gastronomic voyeurism," in which people watch online as people eat and send the diners money. Thirty-four-year-old Park Seo-yeon -- who goes by the name The Diva -- tells Reuters that she earns more than $9,000 a month. She eats for up to three hours at a time, chatting with viewers who send her "virtual balloons," which translate into cash. The Diva explains what she believes is the appeal, saying, "People enjoy the vicarious pleasure with my online show when they can't eat that much, or don't want to eat food at night, or are on a diet." But one of her fans, a 26-year-old man, told Reuters it's about the feeling of having company, saying, “It feels as if I am eating that much food with her. I think that's what the show is about. And probably, it's comforting for people who eat alone.”